After the beating, Qin was helped back home by her youngest daughter-in-law, who also helped her put on her pants.

Once out of sight of everyone, Qin Shi burst into tears: "At my age, to be spanked like this is so shameful!"

The thought of the pain of the bamboo sticks hitting her legs made her shudder, yet she also felt a sense of relief: thankfully, those men weren't there when she was being beaten, otherwise she wouldn't have survived.

The bloodstains on her legs stung terribly, making it impossible for Qin to sit or stand. She could only vent her anger on her youngest daughter-in-law: "You just stand there like a dead person. Hurry up and get me a cool cloth to apply it."

The younger daughter-in-law would soak the affected area in spring water and apply it to her legs; she would be scolded if the application was too light or too heavy.

Beside him, his son Xu Genqing sat on a wooden stump, lost in thought, his mind also in turmoil.

It's incredibly shameful for a son to have his mother beaten in public.

But... what Mother did was true, and she only got a few shards of bamboo. She couldn't even bring herself to confront Granny Jiang, let alone mention it.

Hearing his mother still giving his wife a hard time, his anger flared up: "Enough! It's just three pieces of meat! It's not like it'll break your bones. What are you yelling about? It's embarrassing."

Qin was stunned, and then howled even louder!

After Jiang Zhi had assaulted someone, she began her efforts to connect with the people.

The first one is Tian Gui.

During the first month of the lunar calendar, Tian Gui said that his wife was pregnant. Now, Tao'er's mother's belly is quite big. Although she is thin, she looks good overall. Obviously, the whole family is spoiling her.

The other three children, though poorly dressed, were in relatively good spirits.

His face showed the shyness and timidity of a country child, without any fear or cowardice; it was clear he was happy here.

The shack was crowded with people, and the children's beds were made of straw mats on the ground, leaving no room to even step.

Tian Gui was a little embarrassed: "Village chief, the three kids slept on the ground because it was warm. The grass on the ground was thick, so it wasn't cold. It's just... it's a bit messy."

Jiang Zhi didn't lecture her on what to do, but simply said slowly, "Parents all love their children and want to give them the best. Difficulties are only temporary, and things will get better soon!"

A good life still requires their own hard work. As long as they have food and money, they can gradually improve their conditions and acquire more things.

Seeing that the village chief could say such considerate words, Tao'er's mother wiped away her tears and said, "Thanks to the village chief, we are much better off here than before."

With a place to live and land to cultivate, one can always eat one's fill with thin vegetable soup.

"When we have a little free time, Tao'er's father said he'll build another shed so the three children will have beds to sleep in."

She noticed that Jiang Zhi kept looking at the short clothes the children were wearing, and added, "Right now, the family's income is just enough to feed everyone. The children are growing so fast that we can't afford to buy them clothes."

We can only wait until it gets cold to buy Tian Tao new clothes, and then mend the old clothes for the second and third children.

Jiang Zhi nodded. That's how it is for children in farming families. The eldest wears the clothes that the second eldest wears, and the youngest children can only pick up old clothes.

As long as you don't neglect your health with food, it doesn't matter if you dress poorly.

She looked at Tao'er's mother's belly again: "When are you going to give birth this time? Have you prepared any clothes?"

Tian Gui said from the side, "The baby is only due in September, we can make preparations!"

There are still more than three months left, that's enough time.

Jiang Zhi thought of something, looked at the three children, and said to Tian Gui, "Do you want to raise rabbits and chickens?"

While the children were looking for herbs, they also gathered rabbit grass. They could raise the rabbits to eat as meat or sell them for money!

Chickens can be eaten and lay eggs!

It depends on what's convenient for you to raise. Chickens and rabbits are equally easy to keep alive.

Xiaoman's family has dozens of rabbits. Now that there is no shortage of food on the mountain, they can share some with the villagers.

There are also chicks.

This year, the hens on the mountain have been brooding one after another.

The first batch of twenty chicks hatched, and now, more than a month after hatching, their wings are just reaching their tails. They run all over the mountains and fields every day, or they peck at piles of wheat, which tires Qiaoyun out by chasing them several times a day.

The second brood of hens incubated for ten days, and soon more chicks hatched.

I can give the chicks and rabbits to the villagers to raise first, and then collect the costs at the end of the year.

The first job was given to Tian Gui. He had been bullied while working for me, so I had to give him some benefits.

Upon hearing that he could raise rabbits and chickens, Tian Gui immediately exclaimed excitedly, "Yes, yes! I was even thinking of saving up some money to go to town to buy chicks to raise. Tao'er's mother used to raise chickens!"

Tao'er's mother nodded repeatedly: "Yes, I used to take care of the chickens at home. Keeping the chicken coop clean prevents chicken plague."

The Tian siblings, standing nearby, hurriedly said, "Village chief, can we still raise rabbits? The three of us know where to find rabbit grass, so we're sure we can raise them well. We used to dig up earthworms to feed the chickens, and they laid eggs every day."

Back in their hometown, the three siblings not only had to gather pig feed and cut green mulch for fertilizer, but also had to dig up earthworms to bring home to raise chickens, because if the chickens didn't lay eggs, their mother would be scolded by her aunts and grandmother.

Jiang Zhi nodded in agreement: "Okay, you should build the rabbit pen first. It should be made of stones, otherwise the rabbits will burrow and gnaw on it."

"Put a bamboo curtain over the top of the enclosure so the rabbits can't jump out. Once the enclosure is finished, I'll bring you the rabbits."

When Tian Gui saw that the children wanted to raise rabbits, he agreed: "I'll make time to build them a pen."

After leaving Tian Gui's house, Jiang Zhi visited a few more households. Everyone's situation was similar, and she asked them about raising chickens and rabbits.

This kind of wealth delivered to one's doorstep, although it still needs to be repaid later, is something everyone is naturally willing to accept. It's just that some families choose chickens and some choose rabbits, each with their own preferences.

Everyone knows the saying "hunger and cold breed thievery," and there's also a folk saying: "When there's no food in the trough, pigs will rob each other."

In the past, we all ate oak powder, and there were no major conflicts because we each grew our own vegetables.

But now that medicinal herbs can be sold for money, there are always those who are envious.

Raising pigs isn't feasible, but raising chickens and rabbits is another option. It gives me something to do and prevents me from constantly eyeing other people's food.

Jiang Zhi returned to Xia Xiucai's house only after she had visited the remaining dozen or so houses.

By this time, no one was selling herbs anymore, and the area in front of the shack was deserted.

Xia Xiucai sat on a stone stool, muttering to himself. Beside him, six-year-old Xia Yuanduan sat upright, writing characters on a stone slab.

A worn-out calligraphy brush, using water as ink and a stone slab as paper, produces a brushstroke outline that is more visible than writing on a sand table.

old-fashioned children's school supplies

As soon as Jiang Zhi arrived, Xia's mother and the scholar's wife came out to greet her, even though today's farce had nothing to do with them.

But since the incident occurred in their own home, and Xia Yuan handed over the stone slab, Xia's mother began to worry about how they would settle down in Xujia Village in the future.

Upon seeing Jiang Zhi, he hurriedly apologized, "It's all our fault for not doing a good job of collecting medicinal herbs, causing trouble for the village chief."

Jiang Zhi comforted her, "This has nothing to do with you. Just collect it as you normally would."

I came here to praise your Yuan'er; his handwriting is beautiful, and he remembers numbers well. It's a testament to your excellent parenting skills.

Beside her, the scholar's wife smiled, lowered her head and didn't speak, only gently stroking Xia Yuan's head.

After taking some newly harvested mint from the Xia family and returning to the mountain, Jiang Zhi told them about spanking someone.

Grandma Xiaoman shook her head and said, "That Qin woman used to be an honest and kind person. How did she become like this after just one escape from disaster!"

She just said it casually, without really having any doubts.

People always change when faced with great calamity.

Just as Er Rui Niang became humble and Chun Feng became shrewish, Qin Shi could naturally also become a bad person.